Jack Grealish's former coach sends message to Man City and issues Chelsea transfer advice

Former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert believes the best is still to come from Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

Grealish joined City from Villa for a club-record fee of £100million in August 2021 and has scored just 14 goals in 125 appearances for the club thus far. He has experienced a stagnating campaign this term, scoring just three goals and registering three assists in all competitions.

As a caveat, he has not started matches as often as he would have liked, certainly not in the Premier League; half of his 20 appearances have come via the substitutes bench this season. Furthermore, Phil Foden has raised his game and Jeremy Doku was drafted in last summer to increase the level of competition in the wide areas.

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Despite experiencing an underwhelming third season at the Etihad Stadium, Lambert, who worked with Grealish for a short period at Villa Park, believes the England international may not reach his peak until he is 30. He will celebrate his 29th birthday in September.

"I don't think Jack Grealish has reached his prime yet, he might not play his best football until he is 30, nobody knows," Lambert told Betway. "He has done some great things and he is a maverick type of player who makes things happen.

"If you look at Manchester City as a whole, they are a brilliant team to watch and that all comes from the manager. Jack will have to suss out what he thinks is best for himself and the club."

In recent weeks, some news outlets have linked Grealish with a surprise move to Chelsea. However, Lambert firmly believes he would better off staying put.

Lam